FUNERALS AT HOKITIKA

Grey River Argus, 13 October 1941, Page 4

FUNERALS AT HOKITIKA

Very Large Assemblage The funerals took place yesterday at Hokitika of two of the victims ot the Koiterangi shootings, Gregory Hutchison and Richard John Maxton Coulson, and not for a very long time have larger assemblages been seen in the southern town on such an occasion. About 80 motor-cars were in evidence, while a great number of people walked in procession. The funeral of the late Gregory Hutchison was held in the morning, when the body was brought to Saint Joseph’s catholic Church, in Kameri, at which there was Mass at 9 a.m. The church is adjacent to the home of the late Constable E. M. Best another victim of the shooting. The celebrant of Mass was Rev. Dr. Harrison. There was a very large congregation of friends and the church was packed, while hundreds were unable to gain entrance, and stood in silence on the roadway and in the field surrounding the church. Home Guardsmen from Rimu, Woodstock and Kanieri former! a guard of honour at the church, and again at the cemetery. During the service at Saint Joseph’s Church, Rev. Dr. Harrison read a letter from His Lordship Bishop Brodie, ot Christchurch, who had asked that his message of condolence be read in every church throughout the Diocese. The Bishop expressed his dee n sympathy with the relatives of all those who had lost their dear ones in the tragedy, and his sympathy also to the people of the district in the tragic circumstances that had befallen them. The Bishop also asked that his message should be conveyed to the Mayor of Hokitika (Mr G. A. Perry), and to the County Chairman (Mr'T. P. O'Neil). Very Rev. Father Robinson, of the Redemptorist Mission, also forwarded a message of sympathy from the Redemptorist Fathers. Included among the many hundreds of mourners were the following: Hon. P. C. Webb, Minister-in-Charge of the Police; the Commissioner of Police, Mr D. Cummings; Mr J. O’Brien, M.P., for Westland; Mr G. A. Perry, Mayor of Hokitika; Mr T. P. O’Neil, County Chairman; representatives of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, Home Guard, Sawmillers’ Federation, and of the various local bodies were present, including the Chairman of the Westland Hospital Board (Mr E. W. Heenan), Messrs D. P. Stuart and G. H. Chaoman, represented the Sawmillers’ Association. Five brothers and one nephew of the deceased acted as pall-bearers. There was a wealth of floral tributes. A large lorry was utilised to carry the floral emblems. As the funeral moved off from St. Joseph’s Church, the Home Guard marched in front of the hearse, and the procession wended its way slowly through the deceased’s home town. Once through the town, the Guardsmen embussed, and the funeral moved to the town boundary, where the Hokitika Territorials, ■ under Lieutenant Johnson, joined the procession, and the members of the Druids’ Lodge, of which the late Mr Hutchison was a member and many cars also joined in. When the funeral moved through Hokitika, there were over 75 cars in the procession. Every vantage point was crammed with people as the long cortege moved slowly to the cemetery, where there was a further crowd of mourners. The service at the graveside was impressively conducted by Rev. Dr. Harrison, assisted by Rev. Father Finerty. The Territorials fired a salute, and Bugler L. Ross sounded "The Last Post.” Following the burial, Hon. P. C. Webb, Mr D. J. Cummings (Commissioner of Police) and Mr J. O’Brien, M.P., offered their sympathy to the relatives. The members of the Druids’ Lodee filed past the open grave. Following the rites of the graveside, the vast concourse of people stood for a minute in grave silence, before filing slowly away. At the Catholic Church at Hokitika Rev. Father Finerty read a message of sympathy from His Lordship Bishop Brodie, and he paid a tribute from the Catholic people to those who had laid down their lives in the course of duty. Father Finerty also expressed the sympathy of the people to the relatives of those who had given their lives in the tragedy, which had shocked the whole country.

The funeral of the late Richard John Maxton Coulson, left “The Gables,” the residence of deceased’s father, on Gibson Quay at two o’clock for the Anglican Church, the Home Guard and Freemasons forming a guard of honour at the house, and at the' church, the guard of honour was formed by Freemasons. The i Home Guard paraded in strong numI bers, and there was a large muster of Freemasons. Commander T. N. Mitchell led the Home Guard. At I the service in the Anglican Church, . Rev. T. D. Childs paid a tribute to the i men who had given their lives in de- | fence of their friends, the Scriptual | quotation, “Greater love hath no man i than he, that he lay down his life for his friends,” aptly applied, he i said. The pall-bearers were Messrs ■D. H. Thomas, G. Delbridge, J. Michel, D. Buckland, J. L. Menzies and G. King. Two lorries conveyed the floral tributes. At the graveside I the Anglican service was conducted ; by Rev. T. D. Childs, and this was followed by a Masonic ceremony i read by Wor. Bro. H. Lawn, P.M., ! and Wor. Bro. T. Galloway and Bro. Menzies. Hon. P. C. Webb (Min- | ister for the Police), Mr D. J. Cum- ' mings (Commissioner of Police), and Mr J. O’Brien, M.P., for Westland, attended the funeral, and expressed i their sympathy to the father and I wife and other relatives. | The Mayor (Mr G. A. Perry), and the Deputy-Mayor (Mr A. R. Elcock) represented the Borough Council, ! with the Town Clerk (Mr H. G. F. Coles). At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Freemasons filed, past the grave and each member deposited a sprig of evergreen. The relatives of the late Gregory Hutchison, who was killed on the same night as the late R. J. M. Coulson, were present at the funeral, also Drs. McFarlane, .J. F. C. Moore (Greymouth), and B. L. Wilson (Hokitika), were also present. There was again a large number of motor-cars, and the funeral precession was a lengthy one, the Home Guards were climbing the Cemetery Hill as the last cars of the procession were leaving the corner of Stafford and Fitzherbert Streets. Every vantage point was again crammed with people anxious to gain a glimpse of the funeral, and people everywhere wore expressions of regret. Two sisters of the Guardsman Coulson were present at the funeral, and many friends of the family were present from Canterbury. Among 83 floral tributes were ones from the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers; Commissioner of Police, Members of the Police Dent., Grev District Police, Christchurch District Police, Kanieri, Rimu’ and Woodstock Home Guard. Pacific Lodge E.C. Kilwinning Lodge, St. Andrew’s College Old Boys’ Assn., Mr J. K We'Jsford, and the Mayor and Council of Hokitika.